


Holding Hands

by ScullyLovesQueequeg



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Complete, Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2014-08-20
Packaged: 2018-02-13 23:19:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2169075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScullyLovesQueequeg/pseuds/ScullyLovesQueequeg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mulder & Scully are in the hospital after the incident on the USS Ardent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holding Hands

The first day they spend in the hospital, she does not talk to him because she is too tired. She spends all day laying in bed, gathering her strength. Mulder is across the room from her, resting, though no one will tell her if he will pull through or not.  
  
"His kidney is in danger of failing," They tell her the next day. She knows he's going to have to watch what he eats, if he gets a chance to leave. She makes her way slowly across the room, each step feeling as though they were miles apart. She does not make it all the way.  
  
On the third day, he still does not wake up, so she tries to make it to his bed again. She makes it as far as his cardiograph and has to go back to her own bed.  
  
On the fourth day, her mother visits. Mulder does not move.  
  
On the fifth day, scores of doctors hurry in and out. "I want my bed to be closer to his," Scully tells her mother. Her mother moves the bed a little but not too much. "He doesn't look well." Her mother says.  
  
On the sixth day, she tries walking again and when she arrives at his bedside, she has just enough strength to stay at his side for a couple of minutes before she goes back to her own bed.  
  
On the seventh day, Mulder opened his eyes. "I'm so thirsty," He says, and somehow, Scully can't bring herself to get up to get him water.  
  
On the eighth day, Mulder gets into an argument with his doctor. "I don't want this medicine," He says. "You have to take it," The doctor says. "Mulder please, you need to listen to the doctors." Scully says, and Mulder takes his medicine.  
  
On the ninth day, Scully is doing a crossword and she hears Mulder say to someone on the phone, "If it's no trouble, I would like to see you." There is a pause. "Yeah, she's here but--oh." He doesn't speak after that.  
  
On the tenth day, Scully walks to his bedside when he's sleeping. "You could have gone home days ago," The nurse says, watching her hold his hand. "I know, but I don't want to leave him alone." Scully answers.  
  
On the eleventh day, when she wakes up, Mulder is gone. When she asks where he went, the nurse only shrugs. She gets ready to leave and when she is slipping into her shoes, finally, Mulder hobbles in with his IV drip. "Oh, hello Scully. The food here is bad."  
  
On the twelfth day, she had to sign in to see him. She finds him playing checkers with a nurse excitedly. When they see Scully, he looks like a child at Christmas. "Hey Scully, you'll never guess how many times I won."  
  
On the thirteenth day, he is packed and ready to go. "Just one more night, for observation," he breathes into the phone. "I miss our late night talks on the phone, my roommate is boring. Doesn't believe the magic bullet theory."  
  
On the last day, he leans on her for support and Scully wonders if he knew that people really thought he was going to die. She starts up the car, only half listening to him ramble about the JFK assassination and then she reaches for his hand. He doesn't notice at first, but when her fingers intertwine with his, he goes silent, and he is thankful that they're alone because he's sure his face is red.


End file.
